A Shooting Star
by Ireth-Tasartir
Summary: Kari has the perfect life, but when her boyfriend leaves her, she was not prepared for what came next, 5 years after leaving, she comes back, how much did she change?
1. Yin Yang

Dear Diary

Today has been another fantastic day for me, 1 month!!!!!!!!! Can you believe it? I don't think I lasted as long with TK, actually it had been a week…that was until he discovered he was gay. But with Jake it is totally different, I know he's a year younger than I am, but he's so mature. He has always been so sweet, and kind, I know we had our up and downs before but right now everything is perfect. Right now with our studies we can barely keep up with our relation, but we are trying hard. I don't know Diary, but I think I'm in love, for once in my life, I'm really in love.

Speaking about studies, I can hardly keep up with mine, it's turning out tougher than I thought and I don't think I'll pass clean this year, I'll try however. I just want to finish my studies, start a good job and a career and get out of my house, I cant stand it any more. Tai has been a total suckass evere since he started dating that barbie of his, what was her name? Jennifer I think, a real bitch if you ask me. My parents are weirder by the day, and it always seems like I have the fault to everything, what are they trying to get at? Well, they seem more distant too ever since they discovered I was a Witch, it's not my fault that who I am goes against their religion. Without mentioning my mother's fuzz upon discovering I was a Digidestined too.

My friends are ok, Izzy has almost finished college, but lately he hasn't been seeing Yoley too much, and the poor girl is supremally annoyed. Matt has been a hit with his Teenage Wolves, and it's been ages since I don't see him, I believe he was in America making a tour. As for Sora, well, she didn't start a career but a minor degree of proffesional formation, she wants to work in the textile areas of the comerce. Davis is working at a pizza place, and the rest are doing their studies all right, except Mimi, I think she inherited something from her recently deceased father and has stopped studying to work and live by her dad's money.

Well Diary, I shall stop now since I have an exam tomorrow, one I plan on passing. I'll write more either later, or tomorrow.

Your's Forever:

Kari

Her bright blue eyes flashed with a glitter of pure bliss as memories of her former boyfriend glided across her mind in a calm whirlpool. Delicate, elvish hands closed the fine leather book with tender care, almost as if it was the insecure structure of glass, and would shatter at the gentle blowing of a calm, summer breeze. Placing the diary in a shelf, next to a collection of dull looking, yet fine and precious leather covered books, she sighed, a contented smile parting her fresh, and rosy lips. The fingertips floated delicately over the covers of the collection of books, barely touching them with the sharp tip of her long fingers, "Magic Herbs and their Properties… Animals and their Magical Habilities…this is it!" she read, eyes focused on the golden or silver threaded letters.

Kari picked the book and walked torwards her bed, her delicate hand placing a strand of caramel hair behind her ear. Letting the slender body fall upon the soft and fluffy structure of the bed, she oppened the book. Her feet were raised and crossed on the air, and her pretty oval face rested on the open pal of one of her pale hands, the elbow placed against the mushy softness of the bed, sostaining the weight. With a bored sigh floating from her parly oppened lips, the slender, acher like fingers passed the pages without any hurry, calmly and quietly, as if the time passing was of no importance. The pages shook calmly, whispering their magick as they floated timidly torwards their position, next to another page, a delicate breeze would blow past as each paper remembered the time when they were trees, the time when the wind would float past their flashing green leaves, when they would tower over all beings, powerful and magestick. 

Kari stopped at a point where the image of a white beast, a horse as pale as the clarity of the falling snow, with a body as slender as that of the agile deer, and a silvery horn spiraled in a swirling motion of glowing magick, appeared. She smiled lightly as the beast seemed to attempt to leap off the paper, this photograph had been caught when the creature was leaping torwards the photographer, yet the way the rays of sun sneaked past the trees, and how each delicate ray caressed the animal's body, it seemed perfectly apparent that no ordinary creature had been caught in the inmortality of this image.

"the unicorn!" she started reading with a sigh, "many myths have been told about the reality of such powerful beast, yet few people have ever enjoyed the company of one of this timid and noble creatures. With a shy personality the unicorn has been caught in rare occasions, however…" Kari read in a silent whisper, to focus her attention. Her mind, wild and free like the nible griffin, quickly flew over the skies of her imagination, remembering one of the situations she had spent with Jake, analizing several moments, like after seeing a movie you enjoyed specially, and tried to block your favourite moments in the insecurity of your memory.

With the strident and acute sound that characterized it, the silence was shattered like a window being hit by a glass, when the continuous ringing from the eager telephone echoed in the silence of the currently empty house. Kari's thoughts were abruptly broken by the suddenness of such call, and curious eyes stared at the emptyness of the house, the waves of sound were so thich they were almost visible to her flashing blue eyes. 

With a graceful leapt Kari sprinted torwards the room where the telephone still echoed in it's insistent yell, her legs carrying her with the grace of a fawn, the agility managed only in the vast extentions of the sky, when the magestick eagles flew with their power and nobility. Kari leapt over the bed and spinned on it, landing on her feet like a cat, while a swift movement made her catch the pale and cold plastic of the telephone:  
  


"Hello?" she inquired, taking deep breaths to relax her pumping heart.

"Kari?" asked the melodic yet obviously maleish voice at the other side, a gentle stutter floated with the tone.

"JAKE! Yes, it's me, what makes you call me?" she inquired with a sudden wave of happiness rushing through her veins, a warmth coursing through her excited body.

"Kari, I…I have something to tell you!" the young man snapped harshly, his words flowing with velocity, as if the spoken speech had to be thrown as quickly as possible.

"Sweet, what's wrong?" inquired Kari, the cheerful smile faded from her lips, the happy tone had vanished to be replaced by that of doubt, and worry, and the coldness of fear crossed her magickal blood.

To Be Continued…

AN: Ok, first chappie, this story wont be too long, but it promises to be good, an attempt at something not related with dragons or misterious quests or anything considered epic fantasy. Please, leave a review.


	2. Shattered Delicacy

"Kari" Jake started, making the woman wince. Jake would only call her by her name if something very serious was to be crossing his mind, or heart. 

"Kari, look, I love you ok? Never forget that!" the young man continued. His dark brown eyes had been shut tightly with pain, not phisical but in a place where nothing could ease it. His soul and heart were shattering apart, like a dry leaf being stepped on by the enormous weight and pressure of a horse. His lips were shut so tightly they became pale with the lack of blood, and his throat was so dry that swallowing hurted greatly to the delicate tissue.

"Jake…what?" Kari attempted, her eyes starting to itch signaling the pressence of tears. Her tounge was feeling as if a huge ammount of chocolate had been placed in it.

"let me speak, please" he cut her abruptly, "listen, my studies are taking the best of me, I barely have time to breathe, I need some time to relax, to get away from everything and focus on my studies. I'm sorry Kari, this is really hard for me, really…I…" Jake speeded across his words yet made them as clear as possible. However his voice failed him at the last sentece, and he chocked on his own pain, suffocating with the intense anguish of failure.

Kari stayed there, the earphone placed against her delicate skin, the loud and continuous beeping demonstrating the end of the conversation. She wouldn't react, the hit had been so strong and sudden that her coherency could not process the information with enough speed as to conclude the consequences. Stray tears trailed down her cheeks in a glittering dance of diamond like, yet liquid structure. The humid and salty fluid dripped against her cloth with a shinning motiong of jewelish glimmer, shattering stars floating lazily with their flashes of brief ranbows, rays of light difracting in their transparent deepness. Only then did the young girl react, placing delicately the phone back on it's place she managed to gain control over her body, which hesitantly reacted with numb muscles and almost robotic movements.

Yoley placed an arm around the young girl's shoulder, a tender and simpatheic hug pressed the slender body against the taller girl's body, and her eyes stared at the sky with a reproaching look flashing in the light brown eyes.

"and he said he needed time!" Kari spat, her body convulsing with each sob, her voice strangled with the acumulation of tears in her throat.

"shhh, there are more guys in this world, don't worry, I'm sure you'll find your Prince Charming very soon" Yoley said staring down with very unconvincing reassuring eyes at the youngster. 

"Anyways, he's not right, I mean, all of us here are also having troubles at school, yet none of us drop our girlfriends!" spat an active Davis, fists clenched tightly and eyes flashing with anger, flames boiling inside the black orb of his brown eyes. Kari could see the young boy's body trembling with rage, and she knew of the deep care Davis had demonstrated for her in the past two years. 

Kari smiled lightly at the three people surounding her, all full with worry and care, and the desire to punish the man's negligence aparent in Davis and Ken's eyes. She attempted to appear more content, yet her soul ached with the feeling of rejection, and the reality of having lost him forever, "what can I do? I love him!" she remarked making her point clear with the sincerity her eyes showed, the calid glitter that appeared in the blue orbs upon aknowledging such reality.

"Kari, forget him, he does not deserve your love!" a calm yet severe voice boomed in her heart, instead of easing the pain the thruth pierced her soul with the sharpness of an arrow. Ken stared at her, his icy blue eyes flashing and letting her know of the reality of his words, making her see that her tears were gone to waste.

"he's right, nobody who hurts you deserves your tears, because the one who cares about you will never make you cry!" stated Yoley in a calm voice, a gentle whisper pointing out the wisdom contained in such simple words.

Kari nodde shyly, yet inside her heart she knew well nothing could ease the pain that crossed the integrity of her soul, breaking her own happiness and shattering all the dreams she had ever considered precious for the future of her young life. The four friends made their way back torwards their respective homes, walking in intense silence across the cold streets, their calmness being tore apart only by the desperate and deep roaring of numerous cars, the screams of joy emmited by throats that had no knowledge of unhappiness, and the incoherent comunication of dogs. A general sound, like a hoarse mumble, or a deep growl, even a strangled sob would fly over the heads of the four friends, yet nobody inquired, nor did they speak to break the tension that threatened to split very soon.

Young blue eyes flashed with timid tears as the anhelant desire reflected on the crystaline surface. Kari's eyes were locked in the dull paleness of the phone, the steady item that seemed to laugh at her deception, at her hopeless wait. Indeed, knees pressed against her body, arms hugging her own, warm flesh, Kari waited patiently to hear the acute shrill and feel the gentle trembling of the phone. Her patiente would be granted with the stunning yell, and the gnetle rumble shook the plastic item with a seismic calm.

"Hello?" breathed in Kari eagerly as she grabbed the phone, leaping on it like a wild feline pouncing on it's prey.

"Kari dear, how are you?" inquired a familiar, yet cracked voice at the other side of the phone. Kari's face fell with deception, the person, a woman, speaking on the other side was not the person she had desired with all her heart that would answer her prayers.

"Hi Grandma, I'm fine!" she explained dully, closing her eyes tightly and sighing for herself. 

"are you sure dear?" Inquired with insistence the woman, her voice flowing from it's usual dullness to a more dynamic worry.

"didn't feel too well this morning, I'm fine now!" Kari answered trying to appear more cheerful than she had been lately. 

"hope you get well, is your mother there?" inquired the older woman, trying to sound something close to sympatheic, but too worried in her own priorities to even realize her grand daughter was nothing close to fine, happy or similar.

"sure, MOM!" Kari's voice boomed across the house with amplified intensity, and her throat screamed in pain at not being used to emit such powerful waves, since, for a long time, the loudest her voice had ever reached was a broken whisper of sadness.

Two months had passed by with nothing close to a change, two intense months in which Yoley had seen Kari consuming herself into grief. Yoley observed her friend's actions as they repeated themselves each day. Kari would sit by herself at a rotten, wooden bench, and for half an hour straight her mind would be lost into the infinity of nothingness, staring her eyes at the brilliance of a glow only she could observe. Then the bell would ring and the young woman would stand up and pace slowly, lifelessly, torwards the mouth of the beast that swalloed all teenager, the enormous, wooden doors that directed the students torwards their classes. An unemotive smile would be sent at the group, yet nothing would be spoken between them, no words, nothing but a gesture more propper of someone who has nothing to value in life.

"she's done for!" mumbled Davis with nostalgy and anger mixing in a venomous fluid into his mouth.

"And I cant contact Jake, every time I call his mother tells me he's too busy and doesn't want to be disturbed!" explained Yoley, her shoulder hanged down with deception and defeat, knowing well their actions were futile unless Kari ever decided that she wanted to live.

"contact him? I say we break his face! Look what he has done!" exclaimed Ken, strands of blueish black hair flashing past like the long threads of a wild stallion when his head turned abruptly and violently to focus his gaze on the two teenagers.

Yoley's fists clenched and all actions occuring in her organism inmediatly stopped upon a flashing realization crossed the vast extentions of her brain, "NO!" she snapped with a voice similar to a wolvish howl.

Ken and Davis turned around, confused expressions contorting their fine features, eyes locked into the woman's flaming ones.

"don't you understand? It's not him! We cant force him to be with someone he doesn't love any more!" Yoley growled, her arms shaking with fury at the expectances flashing in front of her eyes, at the obvious realities pouring down over her shoulders.

Ken and Davis stared at each other, their faces, angered at first, confused as a second choice, relaxed with understanding torwards the older female, yet that itch of overprotection torwards their angel would still pump through their veins.

"it's Kari! She's sad, but she's letting helself consume into nothingness, perhaps expecting Jake to feel simpathy and return to her!" snapped the woman with a bright conclusion, yet this remark only brought enraged blood to the taller boy's faces, whose fists quickly clenched into white and tense knuckles.

"Kari would never do that!" Davis remarked protecting the girl who had become like a sister to him.

"NO! I don't mean it as in doing it in purpose, but rather an authomatic action, instinct! Cant you see it?" Yoley explained with brief traces over her theory about the human instincts. The two teenager males exchanged confused glances, which caused the older woman's frustration to break like a ballon that had been inflated too much for it's capacity, "AH! FORGET IT!" exclaimed Yoley throwing her arms to the sky in total defeat.

She stormed past the boys, eyes fixed in her prey, the slender girl that had been their friend, who was currently isolating herself from the world, permeabilized by a coat of false hope to the reality raining in bucketfulls over her gentle head. Yoley reached her with a few long leaps, and was soon situated behind her. A hand like a claw pressed against the thin arm and spinned the feeble creature to focus the dreamy gaze on the furious eyes.

"Kari, damn it, react! You cant stay like this till the end of your life, you'll fall sick!" exclaimed with worry, yet also with anger, the young woman in front of her. 

"what? Yoley! Just leave me alone ok?" growled the younger woman, yet her voice was the feeeble hiss of a puny and wounded snake, the most perilous of all for their unpredictable personalities.

"I WONT!" snarled the older and taller woman, plunging forward and throwing an extended hand at the thinner girl. Her long palm made contact with Kari's rosy cheek, the singing sensation of the collision coursed like electric impulses across the woman's palm and the girl's cheek. A pinkish stain appeared on Kari's cheek, yet the mark of her friend's hand didn't hurt as much as the realization of her own mistakes, of her own stupidity.

Ken and Davis took a step forward, yet they inmediatly stopped in expectation upon observing Kari's passive and even absent expression, eyes glossy, staring at the woman with something close to reverencial respect and submisive shame. Kari, to their surprise, pounced gently over the girl, embracing Yoley in a tight hug, hiding her pale face in her shoulder. Her small body convulsed with sobs and the tears moisted Yoley's shirt with a humid and warm sensation.

"I love him!" cried Kari with desperate sobs. Yoley looked up at the sky with a sad look shinning duly in her eyes, even a reproachfull gaze pierced the intense infinity of a clouded, wintery sky. Why did life had to be so complicated? Her arms surounded the slender body with motherly care and a gentle pat slapped the back with tender care. Kari's nails gripped the girl's shirt so tightly it seemed as if they had suddenly turned into sharp feline claws, and would tear through the thick coat, yet she was only attempting to gain support, to regain her balance, not phisically, but emotional. 

Kari paced hurriedly across the street, the cold wind playing with the short strands of hair. Her eyes were teary but mostly due to the wind than the desperation that coursed her body, the intense feeling of despair that seemed to tear her soul apart with cruel fangs. Her gaze was lost into infinity, as shocked as she was feeling, as surprised at the recent event. Only one thing took her out of the inmense stupor she had been submerged in, the great unreality that locked her away from her ideal world. Her eyes looked up at the sky as…

To Be Continued…

AN: here comes another chapter, is it getting better? I sure hope so because I'm working hard on this idea.


	3. Escaping Reality

Her eyes looked up at the sky as the gentelness of a tiny and pure snowflake caressed her bare hand with it's cold yet feathery hands. Like the sky was falling apart, it's strange veil of silverish dark colour was splattered with the continuous and increasing fall of numerous snowflakes. Pale spheres that glimmered as the dull artificial ligh rays reached the tiny surface, and they sneaked past the glass like structure, making them glitter as if the stars had decided to fall upon the earth, to grant the wishes of the many disgraced people that inquired for a miracle. Many people would have their wishes granted except the lone woman whose eyes were fixed on the raining sky, pale orbs blending in with the magickal brilliance of such event.

Kari shrugged and ignored that which had sent so much joy to her heart in previous days, memories of those times when gazing through the window at the falling snow were starting to fade from her memory. Her paces took her across the deserted streets, even the roaring of cars had vanished, "pretty Christmas gift I got" she mumbled sarcastically, tears starting to glisten in the fleshy corners of her already puffy eyes. 

Kari herself was demacrated, she had grown thinner due to lack of eating, her eyes were constantly puffy as a fact of the continuous crying that affected her, and purpelish black rings were growing around them, deepening them into the vision of something unhealthy and not belonging to the world of living. She lacked sleep, waking up in the middle of the night as a consequence of horrid nightmares, her body would be soaked with cold sweat and flashes of terror could be read in the features of her face.

The young woman's eyes strayed for a brief second, the warmth of a homey light had reached her vision in an atractive dance of calid colours. The window irradiated with comfort, the whole living room reflecting inside had been decorated with dark, wooden furniture, and dark, victorian colours to increase the sensation of being at home. To accentuate such feeling, a burning flame crackled and dance sensually inside a chimney, difracting into bright, intense yellow colours, and deepening to the darkest crimson, passing through occasional sparkles of butanous blue. Kari's eyes gleamed with nostalgy at the vision of a young couple, apparently they had recently moved together. The two humans embraced into a tight hug and both lips collided and fused into a delivious yet passionate kiss, that would surely lead them into the culmination of the most sacred and wonderful act that any pair in love could reach.

With a great, strangled sob, Kari's eyes widdened with shock, not because she knew the couple, of which she had never heard anything, but because of the troops of thoughts and memories that inmediatly assaulted her.Turning around she sprinted across the streets, still feeling the anguishing pressure of fear and nostalgy mixed in a powerful venom, flowing across her veins, poisoning her heart. She collapsed on the ground, exhausted, feeling a sharp pain stabbing her chest and the enormous lack of oxigen affecting her conciousness, making her feel dizzy. She pulled her legs against her chest and tightly hugged her knees, resting her forehead against the hard bone, letting all sadness and desperation flow with the thick, glistening tears of despair, while snow acumulated all around herself, flying in a twirling motion of magick.

Clothes were thrown wildly into a large bagpack, the most important stuff, neccesary for a brief situaton of lack of economy. Kari's hands move wildly across her room, picking up only the most important and significant items she could locate. Several pictures in which her old self could be observed, with her friends, a smiling Kari long vanished from the world, from their world. She stuffed her pictures carefully in her bag and picked up her makeup, altogether with a few items such as her grades, her diplomas and other papers of interest for the life she would lead once she was out of this place. Kari sighed, "I've got one oportunity to do this, no backing away now Kari!" she whispered to herself. 

Stuffing her money in her jacket's pocket, in a most unorthodox manner, Kari rushed out of her room, careful not to touch anything that might cause enough noise as to alert her sleeping parents. The young tenager tiptoed with feathery feet down the stairs, drops of nervous, cold sweat trailing down her forehead, a nervous hand pulling back a strand of sticky hair. Kari landed on feline fet at the basement, yet she didn't hesitate, nor stopped to take a last look at the untidy emptiness this house inspired her. The teenager oppened the door with a faint click, and stopped just enough time to hear an uncomfortable grunt. Her eyes widdened, her father had decided the noise was loud enough as to startle his usually dull senses, and wa now getting ready to investigate the source of a click that had been emmited by a misterious something at the door's keyhole. Kari gasped loudly, "oh no!" she exclaimed in a nervous whisper. She quickly oppened the door and rushed out, closing the door with a tender, careful move behind her, trying not to alert her family any more, and force them into a rushed exit.

Kari ran with some trouble due to the bag, a graceful leap over a frozen fence carried her away from her parent's reach, yet she never stopped, she had to get out of sight as soon as possible. Just in time her small body reached the bus stop, "WAIT!" she called making frantic moves with her arms, directing an sleepy driver that was dully placed by the wheel to stop for her. She quickly entered the bus, a calid warmth engulfed her cold body and created a drowsee sensation to reach her previously alert senses. All the tension left her as she reached the seat, yet her eyes turned to look at her home on last time. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, yet she didn't effort to restrain them. Their salty warmth flowed down her cheeks, trailing bright, glistening pathes down her face. She saw the action ocurring in the small chalet, all lights being turned on, and her father running torwards the garage, wearing nothing but his pijama and a pair of trainers. Kari's heart leapt upon thinking that perhaps he had noticed upon the bus and would decided to follow it as the most accurate idea, yet she would later discover that hed plan had been too perfect, and her father too desperate to notice on the retreating bus.

Dear Family

I know this may come as a shock, but please I beg you to leave me some time, I will explain the cause of my actions later on. Do not seek for me for I don't wish to be found just yet, ok? I'll be in contact with you so you'll know I'm all right. And also please, do not feel guilty, it has nothing to do with you, but with me. It's none of your fault but my own decition. I needed some time off all my life, to get away from the monotonous path it carried. But don't worry, I'll be back sooner than you think ok? Mom, please, stop crying and telling yourself what you did wrong, and Dad, don't hurt me any more saying I'm an ungrateful daughter, because I'm very grateful about what you all did for me. But also understand that I'm 18, I grew up and, unlike my lazy brother, it was my time to stretch my wings. Why I left in the middle of the night? Because I knew you would never understand, and that you still saw me like your little girl, I didn't like escaping like that either, but you would have never let me any other way. By the way, tell my brother that his girlfriend is a bitch and is cheating on him with Leonard Hermens, a guy from my class. I love you all:

Kari

To Be Continued…

AN: Well, I believe it's starting to get more interesting, isnt it? I just hope you are enjoying it, and please, keep reading, you'll understand more things as the story goes on ok? I've also got another stories, Copper Blaze is getting along pretty good too, a couple more chapters to finish that one. Well, please, review k?


	4. Vanished Dreams

The screeching of the telephone rang in the angost emptyness of the house, the tense calm and it's delicate structure was inmediatly shattered to pieces.

"hello?" inquired a tired voice, a tone that gave out the lack of sleep and the constant crying, even the sadness conquering the caring heart.

"hello, can I speak to Kari?" inquired a deep, manly voice, yet the slight trembling of his voice made it obvious that his nerves were about to shatter, like the silence previously.

"Kari…left!" sobbed the woman, placing a hand to her mouth, to keep a strangled sob from being heard by the caller.

"where did she go?" inquired the man once more, oblivious to the reality of the situation.

"I don't know…she left!" unable to keep the situation any more, Kari's mother hanged the phone with an abrupt move that made the plastic crack. Inmediatly after he covered her mouth with shock, memories returning to her mind, tears glittered as they ran down her cheeks, reflecting all the thoughts that coursed her mind.

It was true that Kari had been in contact for these past two months, calling her parents and specially Yoley, being informed about the ongoing and informing them about her well being and her situation. It was also true that  ever since she left, Kari had sounded happier in her current situation than she had been ever since Jake broke their relation.

A shadow towered over a certain violet haired woman, who was calmly sitting on a rotten, wooden bench, reading a small, pocket novel while she waited patiently for the arrival of her friends. Yoley, curiously, looked up at the tall figure, a man nearly 190, yet with a well built constitution. He had flashing dark hair, glossy as if it was humid, and spiked up. His features were fine, perfect lips, the sweetest smile, a straight nose, and the most incredible eyes, a glisten between blue and green, with tints of brown sprinlkled around the iris.

Yoley's eyes narrowed angrily, "what do you want Jake?" she inquired in a terse, annoyed voice. Yoley knew perfectly well it was not his fault that Kari had been so depressed, and had decided as a last resort to take some time away from everything, however, she had been her best friend for a long time and it hurted her greatly to seeing her consuming into darkness. 

Jake lowered his head in shame, yet his fingers were rolled into a tight fist, "It was not my fault Yoley, I just needed time!" he deffended himself with a tight voice.

"look Jake, I know, but it hurts me greatly, Kari was terribly depressed for the months after you broke up, she is my best friend and it hurted me a lot!" Yoley explained in a softer voice, while her fingers played with the corner of a page.

"I c!" sighed the young man relaxing his muscles, "anyways, where is she?" he inquired returning to the point that concerned his sudden appereance in such neighbourghood, so far from his own.

"why do you want to know?" inquired Yoley, narrowing her eyes as suspicion flowed within the boiling structure of her blood, the unstable bonds tensing and relaxing with speed.

"I want to say I was sorry, and that I regretted my decition about breaking up, I cant live without her!" explained the man waving his arms in emphasis to his words, his eyes glowing with a light of hope and pure nostalgy in the depths of his curious orbs.

"Jake, I think you should have…" Yoley started but was cut off by a pair of strong, muscular arms encircling her waist. 

The girl turned around grinning, and her lips were inmediatly pressed against those of a young, red headed man, arms placed tenderly over his shoulders, and caramel eyes glowing with mischief. The black depths of the strange, technician looking boy, stared deep into the flaming atractiveness of the woman. 

"Yoley sweet, I think I've found it!" the man exclaimed happily placing down a small, completely thin yet powerful Machintosh laptop, and oppening it with eagerness.

"oh Izzy, not again!" moaned the girl with great displeasure, knowing well the path the man's words were dangerously taking.

"found what?" inquired Jake, excited and always interested in exchanging theories with the intelligent computer maniac. 

"the Matrix!" said Izzy in a misterious, hissing tone, no louder than a deep whisper, black eyes staring at the man with a penetrating gaze that sent a current of chills rushing past his vertebral column.

"yeah ok, you'll tell him later!" Yoley said making it obvious that the boy's interests roamed around finding the misterious Matrix of which they spoke in the famous movies, and were becoming intensely repeptitive. 

"listen Jake, I don't know where Kari is, but I do know she's better off there than she was with you, she's doing fine, has found a job and is passing her studies with perfect grades, so I do ask you something, leave her alone" Yoley finished her speech in a clear, calm voice, not wanting to break her friendship with the man yet not wanting to destroy the young teenager's happiness either.

Jake looked at Yoley, then at Izzy in search of help, or a response, yet being received by a simpatheic look. His eyes traveled back to Yoley's icy calm ones, then retreated to find the grey and dirty floor very interesting.

"I c" sighed Jake in deception, defeat and shame, never looking up. His feet started carrying him away from the couple, he could hear the giggles of enjoyment and the gentle sound of humidity as the two deepened into a pasionate kiss. Jake, unable to hold the intensity of his feelings, started a quick trot torwards the bus stop, his stomach shaking with a burning sensation, and his eyes itching with the pressence of salty tears. He missed her greatly and would do anything to get her back, yet he didn't know where to beging, and if he had to face her right now he would never know how to start to apologize. Something he knew for sure, he would get her back.

To Be Continued…

AN: Short chappie, I know, how is it getting along? I hope you like it, I've got other stories that are also interesting, yet different topic. Please, let me know what you think and drop me a review, ok? 


	5. Computer Programer

Jake stared at his watch with a look of boredom crossing his now mature features, his eyes owned a glossy glow, yet the starry glitter that he had owned when young had long left his magical looking eyes. The years of torment had drowned his bliss and love for living, and for a long time he had spent sinking into the darkness of grief and the flaming blade of guilt stabbed through his chest, cutting through with it's razor edges. However time always eases the pain, and heals the deepest gashes and wounds, hence the five years that had passed since Kari's departure and their breakup had already cured, not lacking the pain of the medicines, the heartache that stabbed his soul.

"and 5!" snapped Jake excitedly. He typed on his computer a protection code, leaving it with the screensaver without turning it off and neither leaving the private contents of his programing to be seen by anyone.

Jake rushed up the stairs with the excitement of a child leaving highschool, and his rushed paces took him through a mecanic door, to be engulfed by a brightly lit, white room. Everything in the room was controled by some sort of mecanic device, it was apparently a natural reserve for all sort of microchips as different technologies inquired before beginning to work their doing. Jake ignored the constant inquiring of a coffe machine, questioning him if he pleased some coffe. He leapt agily over the table, only to land behind a tall, comfy office chair, on which a man with flaming hair sat, typing frantically on his computer, oblivious to Jake's pressence. Jake grinned mischievously and pulled Izzy's hands away from the keyboard.

"JAKE!" moaned Izzy displeased about his act, looking up from the screen and staring at the man through his square glasses.

"Izzy, you work too much!" Jake affirmed staring down at the man with a knowing look, yet the smile never left his still young lips. 

"Jake, I work hard, but I reach my goals sooner than others with a media of daily work lower than mine!" Izzy explained rather proffesionally.

"yeah, and your level of health is also lower than the media!" Jake mumbled gazing othersides, trying to appear as if the words that had accidentally left his lips had been nothing but the humming of nature outside the artificial office.

"what was that?" inquired Izzy suddenly staring straight at the man, breaking his gaze away from the monitor, where it had landed once again.

"oh, nothing! Just an afterthought,  by the way Mr Koushiro, how is project Matrix going?" Jake inquired, his voice slightly alarmed yet it relaxed upon reaching the thought of the project which had been ocupying most of Izzy's mind for the past years.

Izzy's lips broke into a mischievous and knowing grin, "pretty well!" he answered returning his gaze torwards the computer, and starting to type at a speed Jake had never observed in anyone before. He couldn't help but think that the man's ability to type would come in handy at the time of playing the delicacy of the musical piano.

"right now I was finishing my latest theory, please take a seat!" Izzy started explaining, never keeping his eyes away from the computer.

Jake looked behind himself and sat on a bright, blueish violet coloured chair, the wrinkled surface gave out it's leathery constitution. As Jake sat he couldn't help but observe how different from his chair this one was, the comfortable shape of the seat and the back, and the perfect altitude of the arms.

"…about how confused we were, care for a coffe?" Izzy stopped his speech once again to inquire a petition while never retreating his eyes off the screen, neither his hands had lost the concentration and still remained in their constant typing, quick, without a single pause, like spiders in their hunt.

Jake looked at the cup of coffee laying next to him, pale, like the whole office. Small strands of greyish white steam gently floated torwards the ceiling, only to vanish a few centimetres over the cup, either blending in with the paleness or dissipating around the room. It's perfect calmness only altered by the gentle breathing coming from both men. Jake picked up the cup and took a small zip, gasping at the burning sensation upon reaching his sensitive tounge and lips. 

"so, how come we were confused?" he inquired curiously, lowering the cup and placing all his attention on the red headed man he pretty much worshipped as the genius of many theories, creations and other items and things that had proved worthy.

Izzy stopped writing and started directly at him, his arms placed calmly over the table, one on top of another, and his face glowing with a peace and calm, even a security over himself that Jake had never seen on the totally active man. 

"the Matrix does not exist!" Izzy explained calmly.

Jake stared at him wide eyed, "bu…!" he started, yet his mouth only moved in a frantic motion, as if he had suddenly turned into a fish and lacked the oxigen needed to breathe and live. He could not understand why the man that had given him the job and passion for computers was suddenly giving up on the secret project that had taken him so many years. Another thought that assaulted his nervous mind was the thought of it's discovery, if the Matrix didn't exist, how come Izzy was so calm? He had proved his own thoughts and ideas to be wrong.

"calm Jake, the Matrix doesn't exist out of here because…this is the Matrix!" Izzy finished his remark placing a knowing gaze on the man, never removing the constant stillness, never shaking or flinching, simply staring at the nervous boy to make him understand the reality of such thought.

Jake glanced at the man with a curious gaze, his heart was beating fast with excitement, and his veins pumped so much adrenaline he thought he was about to leap out of the window, simply to burn all the energy acumulating in his organism. Yet suddenly his mind caught the message, and bright, magickal eyes directed a quick glance at the still steaming cup of coffe on his hand, and the strange, bright coloured chair that, he suddenly noticed, was not there before. A chair like that would show up against the paleness of the office. Izzy had just programed both items, simply t make him see the reality of the situation, which suddenly started to scare him.

"how can we get out?" Jake inquired nervously, the whole even starting to slap him with the force of a titan, never did he really expected to find that the Matrix was a reality.

"I don't know yet, why don't you come with me and have lunch? Yoley told me she was meeting a friend at Yin-Yang, maybe you get along!" Izzy explained standing up and placing the code on his precious computer.

Jake placed the cup onto the table with delicacy, almost as if fearing it would bite him or shoot an electric jolt through him. His eyes gazed at an amused Izzy, and he quickly stood up, ready to follow him and leave the two programmed items where they were, standing quietly in Izzy's office. 

Yoley waved at Izzy and Jake as they entered the restaurant, dressed in their inmaculate black uniforms, and both with a laptop of their own instalation and programing to bring their enormous drivers and files home, for a bit ef extra work. The woman was standing in front of a young female with long, caramel hair, dressed in what seemed the uniform of an office woman, with a black skirt and a white shirt, as well as a pair of high heeled shoes. 

The young woman quickly turned around, and Jake nearly dropped his laptop, and the nervous smile that had been tensing his facial muscles since the discovery of his contradictory ideas of reality, had completely fade, melted into a somewhat shocked expression. Standing before him was the most beautiful creature he had ever encountered in his life, the woman that roamed his brightest dreams, an angel of prefection, his perfection. Her curves were perfect, her long, slender legs made her graceful like a gazelle, her beautiful face made her look as radiant as the moon shining bright on the vast and dark extentions of the sky. Standing before him was his light, the brightness lighting his path, darkenned for many years, for she…

To Be Continued…

AN: What is with the misterious girl? And what's with a paranoid Izzy? Sorry bout that little Matrix thing, I've just been keeping a discussion with a friend for the whole afternoon, concluding what was reality or not. Anyways please, read and review k? tell me your opinion on the story, I think it's turning out ok, isnt it?


	6. Rising Sun

Standing before him was his light, the brightness lighting his path, darkenned for many years, for she was none other than Kari, the woman who he loved with all his heart, and whom he had left for placing his studies as his priority, over a perfect relation he could have easily kept. Kari had not asked for much, only a little attention once a week, only five minutes to receive the lifely warmth of a kiss and one occasional call, but no, Jake had been too submerged in his own preparation to see the reality ocurring, to focus on the desperate screams of his own heart.

Kari was standing there, looking better than she had ever looked, her eyes shinning with a life and a brightness he had never observed in her, it was almost as if the time and the torment of memories and thoughts had treated her better than they had treated him.

"hello Jake, long time no see!" she chirped in her brighter and most proffesional voice, as if the encounter with an old boyfriend didn't have more importance than the clients she had to take care of everyday.

Jake's features quickly morphed from shocked to utterly amazed and hurted, the remark of the lack of importance their relation had been to her stabbed him with the ferocity of a hungry tiguer, slashing his heart and tearing his soul with murderous fangs and claws.

"hi Jake, Izzy, you remember Kari right? She has become a lawyer and…" Yoley started explaining obviously noticing the tension acumulating on such thin and delicate threat, and menacing to break any moment now.

"hi Kari, it sure has been time!" Jake answered upon hiding his true feeling behind a shell of coldness and passiveness, his last resort against the cruelty of the world. He still loved her, he had loved her for a long time and still did, her pressence had made him direct his paces away from the path imposed by those priorities that had caused him to risk their love, and now she acted like he didn't matter at all. 

"Yoley, you cant imagine what I've found out today, it's the greatest discovery of the whole human history!" Izzy remarked, excitement pouring off his ears like a cascade of melodious water, infecting everyone surrounding them to such euphory.

"oh no Izzy, not Project Matrix again, is it? I told you to drop it, that it was a loss of time!" snapped the programer's wife with a displeased and bored moan, making it obvious that in this past years, Project Matrix had not been a reason to their marriage, but rahter a cause of dispute.

"no, Yoley, this time I've got to a conclusion, or part of the real answer, I'm closer than ever look!" Izzy explained opening his laptop and starting to type frantically in the small keyboard.

"oh no Izzy!" snapped Jake pushing his hands away from the keyboard, restraining his furious need to scream his discovery to the people around them, "no programing more chairs and coffees!" Jake hissed in a silent whisper, explaining the man to keep himself from creating a virtual reality in front of them, something that might alert the supersticious society.

Yoley and Kari exchanged curious glances, "what does he mean with programing coffees and chairs?" inqiured a now rather icy Yoley, unable to understand the coherency of his phrase and growing in the shell of suspicion.

"I'll explain at home!" whispered Izzy shutting down the power boosted laptop and placing it in the security of a hard case, locked with a complicated, computer code he, himself had programed to restrain curious hands from stealing and accesing to his laptop and his precious documents.

"well, I believe we should order our lunch already, Yoley already told me you have got a rather large chalet in the northern area, by the mountain!" Kari inquired curiously, eyes fixed in the worried deepness of Izzy's, never looking at the fantastic brightness of her former boyfriend's.

"indeed we do!" explained Izzy slightly distracted, his mind still roaming about the biggest step he had taken ever since he started Project Matrix.

"we will possibly make a party for Christmas Eve, why don't you join us?" inquired Yoley excitedly, her eyes flashing in a somewhat nostalgic way upon looking at her friend, her completely grown up friend.

Jake, although he remained silent throughout the whole event, kept his eyes fixed upon the figure of the woman he had once loved so much, his gaze blazing with a dreamy expression, yet one which showed him the reality of her departure.

"she has changed" thought the young man never looking away, "she left as a child, and returned as a woman! I wonder where she has been. What made her change like that? It's almost as if she didn't care about us any more, is she married? Has she got a boyfriend? Possibly, a charming woman like her will not pass unnoticed to the male population!" the programer's thoughts kept dashing across his mind, flashes of his past still shining into the dark depths of his memory, like stray stars on an evening sky.

"the lunch has been very pleasant, thank you!" Kari said placing down his napkin, with which she had just cleaned her lips.

"the pleasure was mine Kari, I hope we can meet again soon, after all this years time never seems enough!" beamed the older woman placing a couple of quick but tender kisses on the other girl's cheeks.

"I have got an idea, if you still have time that is, why don't you join me at my house for a coffe?" Inquired Kari, her eyes gleaming with a pleading expression, as ilussion crossed her fine features. 

"I have got to work this afternoon, but I have got a couple of hours still, yes, it sounds like a plan!" commented the more experienced programmer, the flaming haired Izzy, as a thoughtful expression contorted his fine features into a face full of concentration.

"oh come on, leave that friggin proyect for later, it's not everyday you encounter someone you haven't seen for five years!" Yoley scolded, a playful slap sounding lightly on his black clothed shoulder. 

"they have a perfect relationship!" commented Kari as if it had nothing to do with them, "it's obvious they both love each other so much!" finished the young woman, her eyes staring up at the tall, young man as if they had just met.

"true!" sighed Jake letting a heavy nostalgy flowing lightly with his words, "it's like we have never met before, what's with her? Doesn't she recognize me? Or does she simply wants to ignore the fact that we shared such a tight relationship?" thought the young programer examining the girl as if she was a statue, inch by inch, analizing every detail of her fine body. Jake could feel something that scared him, something that had been there for many years, yet now the little candle was burning with the enraged heat of a forestal fire. 

"well, it's not every day I advance so much in…" Izzy started explaining, his voice trying to overpower the noise that the people were making, trying to make himself clear, the typical idea that the one with the reason is the one yelling louder becoming very obvious in this situation. 

"YOU KNOW! LET'S GO! People are starting to stare at us!" explained Jake, his voice booming louder to make Izzy's revelation about Project Matrix fade into the busy athmosphere of the restaurant.

Indeed, many eyes were placed on the scandalous and loud group that had become of a fighting couple and a former relationship long broken, and the only cause was the intensive seeking of a maniacal programer in search of an alternate reality that had appeared, many years before, in a very famous movie. However, few, just a few people in the whole planet, would not find the radical and completely fictional theory as irrational at all, and Izzy had slightly demonstrated the reason for this, although only he and his work mate, Jake, knew about it.

"welcome to my house" explained Kari, the door creacked open with a loud and acute shriek, the guests were welcomed by a calid warmth fighting the freezing cold of mid november. 

The house was well illuminated, a cozy place with had a not so spacious living room, yet the flood of pure and flashing bright light, altogether with the comfortable yet modern structure of the decoration, gave the room a sensation of vast extentions. The whole house was aproximately similar, and although the style was modern it did not tough the completely unharmonious and frustrationg twists and curves that exagerated the touch of futuristic reality.

"mommy!" screamed a delightful, young voice, echoing in the depths of a large and wide corridor.

All heads turned to see the origin of the voice, a young girl around the age of five, thin and with a beautiful, childish face. Her skin was pale and her wild hair was of a dark chestnut colour. Her eyes shone with a brightness and a light, like astros of the vast universe, however the resemblance was that of a nebula with the fascinating game of colours, of caramel brown and bright, dark blue.

"Chiyo!" screamed Kari, ignoring the shock that drowned the group's mind and knowledge.

The young woman grabbed the girl and spinned her around a few times, beore huggin her with a tight embrace, yet the motherly care was obvious in the tenderness with which her arms held the little girl, and the warmth that flamed in her eyes.

"you have a daughter?" inquired Jake in a shocked voice, yet the pain made it difficult for him to speak clearly, a sword was crossing his throat and made it unable for him to emit his words more clearly than an strangled whine.

"yes, her name is Chiyo, she's very smart!" Kari explained smiling with pride at the group.

"she's a lovely little girl, how old is she?" inquired Yoley with the delight of an aunt upon seeing her little niece.

"four Miss!" Chiyo explained slightly indignated at the fact that the attention given to her was represented as if her young mind could not understand the words spoken around her little ears.

"she will be five in July, which is still far from here!" explained the young woman with a large, happy smile.

The group sat at the soft, sprung sofas, the warmth of the ceramic cup, which contained the space darkness of the coffe, warming their slowly heating hands. Kari still shook her spoon around the creamy darkness of her coffe with added, pale milk, a chiming sound echoed from the depths of her drink. Chiyo had just left with her nanny, who had appeared a brief second just to retreive the curious little girl, keeping her from bothering the guests.

"the problem was Jake that our research started with the basic idea, with the consideration of building a possible Matrix, what we didn't count on was that perhaps it was the reality we were living at, making it impossible for us to rebuild a system of virtual reality within another, not with the medias inplanted within this one!" Izzy explained excitedly, his hand shaking with such delight that his coffe threatened to pour all over his already, night coloured pants.

"but how did you find out about the fact that what we are living at is Matrix?" inquired Jake paying Kari very little attention, as his interest had been drawn torwards one of his favourite topics.

"it was very weird, something clicked in my mind while analizing data, you know each computer software has a code, right? A serie of digits and characters of complicated constitution and order that determines it's uses and it's facts, and the comands neccesary to make it work!" explained Izzy very clearly, as if the people around the small tea table would find it unable to understand such complicated vocabulary.

"indeed, it can be viewed by accesing the main unit of the operative system, the computer's brain to say it, then transforming through a serie of programing, the visual characters in it's digital units!" concluded Jake inflating his chest pridefully, yet he could not find the union between this fact and the recent discovery of the world surounding him.

"exactly!" snapped Izzy pouring a few, minuscule drops of coffe onto his pants, "now this is what I did, I didn't have anything to loose anyways, so I created an item, completely mechanical and digital, that allowed me to view the software and drivers in their digital particles without typing in it. Of course, to do such it has to receive the information, analize it, determine it as digital and finally transform it in the correspondent units!" explained Izzy placing the cup on the table, having contained the gasp caused by the burning sensation of several areas of his legs.

"which item is it?" inquired Jake, now his eyes gleaming with curiosity, his heart beating with a radicalized speed at the expectation of viewing his world as it really was. 

"this!" explained Izzy passively, taking out a pair of sunglasses with an applied, cilindrical device on one of the sides, the sparkling center of the cilinder made Jake see, upon picking them up, that it contained a lense.

"you see Jake, upon analizing the computer screen and observing the codification of my operation system, I thought I had nothing to loose if I was to try with observing the world around myself, I would determine my reality, and if nothing was to happen I would have lost nothing because Proyect Matrix would continue!" explained Izzy calmly, solemnly, as if that moment of pure bliss had been the spiritual revelation that brought peace to his insides.

Jake examined the glasses with some respect, his hesitant hands were shaking with excitement and fear, "do I want to?" thought the man making failing attempts to bring the glasses closer to his face, "do I really want to see that my reality was nothing but a systemprogramed to make me see, feel, smell, all those sensations? Or should I believe that my idol is nothing but a maniac and that the things he programed were already there, but I hadnt seen them?" Jake's mind kept across this path of inquires, and deductions, conclusions never approaching the station of his brain.

"then it happened, I placed the glasses on my eyes and observed my office!" kept Izzy going on, ignoring the boy's doubts and fears. 

Jake brought the glasses to his eyes and observed, the living room in which he was situated. At first the glasses were completely dark, as if night had reached his vision earlier than engulfing the world in nightshades. Suddenly the glass started forming images before him, he could now see the sofa very clearly, the different decorations, all drowned in shadows, a game of greys and blacks. His heart felt, heavy like nickel, nothing in his vision was digital, everything was as it should be, completely phisical, Izzy, his idol, had been wrong for one time in his life, it had all been his imagination and Proyect Matrix had been a total failure. Jake ignored why was he feeling so deceived since, for one side, he knew that this was the reality they were actually living at, not something formed by a compute program.

"at first I was very deceived!" Jake heard Izzy's voice whisper distantly next to him, it didn't mean Izzy was gone, but that Jake's mind had sank so low in deception his senses faltered.

To Be Continued…

AN: I know this whole Matrix thing might be starting to get annoying, but I've got plans for a future story so it's neccesary I introduce some information and prepare some background for it, just in case any of you is willing to make an effort and continue reading this. Well, it's getting exciting, isnt it? Please, review.


	7. Chiyo's Truth

Jake turned to look at Izzy, his hand rised gently to take off the device covering the natural structure of his vision, his face lacked all positive emotion and he almost felt the need to stand up and leave that house, the house that attacked his heart so ferociously. Jake's hand froze when the fingers were tenderly caressing the black structure of the plastic, and his jaw fell as his whole body froze and all neuronal reactions controling his muscles faltered and blocked, electrick shocks jolting through his mind in confusion and surprise. Izzy was before him, and he was smiling, but he only knew that because he understood programing. Izzy's structure was completely formed by digits, some of which he had never heard of, the cuantical process of 0 and 1 alternating with a collection of characters and the other eight numbers. The digits fell in a cascade of bright green, as every pulse, every action taken processed in front of his eyes. Behind Izzy the rest of the world was formed by these same structure of digits, of quantic data and program software and drivers.

"then suddenly the world flashed in digital data in front of my eyes, and I understood that Matrix had a very complicated programation, it's necessary for it to make us believe this is real, that's not something you can do with actual computers. That's why it took nearly three minutes to analize the complete structure of the constantly varying items surounding us!" Izzy concluded in his explanation, finishing his speech with a rise of hands, slightly matter of factly.

Jake was unable to articulate any word, his voice faltered him as a knot seemed to cross his throat, and the skin that formed his vocal chords seemed to fall and stick to the muscle at his faringe. Now he knew the truth, and that was the Matrix.

"why are you digital? Why…why am I igital? Are we computer programes?" Jake inquired in a high pitched squeak, his voice recovering with a negatively slow speed. He observed his hand to the focus of the glasses, at first it had been perfectly normal, however it inmediatly fussed into a serie of digits, the same as the enviroment surounding him. Jake was alarmed now, he had found out what he wanted and now he doubted this had been such a good idea at all.

"we are not software, if we were we would have been programed, therefor would be concious about ourselves. This is not the case, I think we are just a mind contained in a digital representation of our actual bodies" explained Izzy raising his eyes to the purely white ceiling, a thoughtful expression crossing his face, "I ignore the location of our phisical bodies, presumably outside Matrix, but I have never been there, so I cant know!" finished the programer calmly.

Jake gulped, he had just thought of making the same question, his tounge had rolled acomodation to beging his speech and his throat had humidified to allow the air flow softly across his faringe. It had almost been as if Izzy had read his mind, however it was very obvious this was the question to be asked upon completing a speech with certain explanations, leaving the question hanging in front of the confused mind.

"what are they talking about so interestedly?" inquired Kari with passive curiosity, understanding computers enough to know how to turn it on and off, and type.

"Izzy has been five years working on a proyect he called Proyect Matrix, which consited on working on a real virtual reality, a place that could be mistaken for the real world, however the proyect seemed destined to fail as little progress was made in five years, however it seems that Izzy has found out something that made the proyect advance rapidly!" explained Yoley with boredom, tired about the constant ongoing of the scientifical research and experiment in the past five years.

"very interesting indeed!" commented the young woman with little enthusiasm, Izzy's completely preposterous theories about alternate realities, and the incredibly complicated and incoherent language he usuall implied in his speech was not something of the utmost interest to Kari.

"anyways, tell me a bit about yourself, where have you been all this years?" inquired Yoley, chaging topic with egagerated ease and eagerness.

"well, I left and used all my saving to travel away from town, I went to Kioto, and once I was there, the little I had left was used to rent a house. It was hard to find a job but I finally managed, a little job at a pizza. I kept studying and now here I am, a diplomat!" explained Kari excitedly, smiling brightly at the thought of her triumph in life.

"but why did you leave? We could have helped you had you stayed here, in Odaiba!" asked the older woman in a way that was a scold, yet getting closer to a frustrated moan of misunderstanding.

"after he left me I was broken" Kari started casting a shady glance, nearly despective at the distracted boy wearing the sunglasses and gaping at the vision of a world completely digitalized, "I couldn't hold it any more so I left. It helped me a lot since it made me reconsider my posibilities, but I have to admit I became more frigid, colder and more ferocious and cautious at the world. I just thought it was time to return to my town, that's why I'm here!" Kari explained, her clenched fists and white nuckles, as well as the hard muscles emphasizing the tension of her brief comments about her life.

"I see, and what about that little girl? Are you married?" inquired Yoley with a mischievous grin on her lips, a teenage excitement pouring from all around her like a waterfall.

"er…not exactly, you see, no man our age would want to date a woman with a child! And I didn't really have much time to begin a new relationship with anyone!" explained Kari in a timid voice, her cheeks flushing with a shameful blush, a tint of pinkish that spread across her cheeks like the legs of an enormous spider, through the inflating vessels, blooming with blood.

Jake's attention, which had been placed on the world of reality revealed by Izzy, was called intensely upon perceiving the last set of words, the last sentence, the fragment of speech that seemed about to terminate the woman's conversation. He stood up rapidly and threw the glasses aside, retreating them from his eyes to focus his gaze on the tangible structure of the phisical appereance which belonged to a complicated sequence of data. His eyes focused on the woman, something close to anger glinted in the misterious and fantastic depths. Jake stumbled lightly, feeling dizzy at the abrupt change of vision, his sight still unfocused and blurry, yet he ignored that fact as more important matters crossed his mind. 

Yoley, whose mouth hanged open, not as much as shock but due to the approaching words that still rested in her throat, chocking her curiosity, stared at the man. A wise decition it was to close her lips and leave the former couple to discuss this serious matter themselves.

"wait a minute, if you didn't have any relationship with anyone and Chiyo is going to be five in June…" he started making quick calculus in his mind, a frown crossed his fine features, "it means you were pregnant before you left!" gasped Jake pointing at the woman with an accusing finger, his eyes flashing with understanding and a proffound anger.

"Jake, shut up!" snapped Kari standing up deffensively, her fists clenching, muscles tensing to much it made her whole body shake with fury.

"why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" yelled the man never removing a shaking finger, which kept pointing in the direction of the female diplomat.

Izzy and Yoley stared at each other, their mouths shut yet their simpatheic and understanding eyes revealed all they had to say. They stood up silently and walked off torwards the door, this was not something that concerned them therefore they had no need to watch the scene of such an overly serious and important matter.

"why? Because you left me! I was not going to tell you I was pregnant to make you feel the need of being with me, to force you to stay with me just because we had a child in common!" hissed Kari in a threatening, snake like way.

"I had the right to know! She's my daughter!" snapped Jake in a matter of factly way, relaxing slightly and now feeling ashamed of his action torwards the young woman, of his heartless decition.

"no she's not!" Kari growled now resembling the calm fury of a threatening wolf, her head lowering and her eyes shading, yet piercing at the man with the sulfurous gaze of a preybird.

Jake, shocked at the new Kari, recoiled not expecting her to attack so furiously, tensing his muscles as if he was waiting to see her pounce on him to bite his throat off.

"Chiyo stopped being your daughter when you chose your studies over our relation. I was not asking for more, just dating occasionaly, two hours a week, that was all I wanted. But no! you were too selfish and self centered, and egocentric to realize that some very important things take little effort to maintain" explained the woman never moving from her spot, never recoiling nor giving any sing of sadness, fatigue or fear, her features completely shaded and obscured, cold like the same ice. 

"I…I didn't finish it!" Jake said in a shaky, trembling voice, his features had relaxed yet now the flash in his eyes was close to nostalgic, warm and calid yet with that same humid glint of deception and regret.

"what?" inquired Kari in a calmer, disbelieving voice, standing straight and relaxing slightly, yet always alert like a wild wolf.

"after I left you I was so guilty I returned looking for you, but you were gone. I didn't know what to do, it had been my fault after all and I wanted to call you to tell you I was sorry, very sorry. My mind was so focused in my guilt and regret that I stopped studying, and failed. Not only that year, but the next ones too!" Jake started explaining but across Kari's face a glimpse of triumph seeme to float lazily, "then I gave up, I couldn't concentrate on my studies and started working, but Izzy, man he's one in a million, he offered to teach me Programing, and a couple of years after he offered me a position as a programer in his company, and that's where I ended, no title, no studies, the black sheep of my family…and I lost the most precious thing I ever had!" finished the young programer, shaking his head in a sad way.

Kari's features softened upon observing the young man, across this years her thoughts had focused on him, she still loved him, however the flame had been nearly extinguished. The flame was starting to grow once again and it's passionate fury was melting the coat of ice that engulfed the girl's heart, she could not let that happen, five years of mental training could not collapse because an old boyfriend appeared in her life.

"mommy?" squealed a little voice behind the fighting couple.

They both turned around in time to see the innocent, young figure of their daughter, standing with glinting eyes by the door frame, a curious gaze implanted in her features.

"yes honey?" inquired Kari with a renewed warmth in her voice upon the vision of her most precious thing, the only and greatest love in her life.

"is Jake my daddy?" inquired little Chiyo taking both of them by surprise, enver expecting that question coming from the inmaculate innocence of a little child.

To Be Continued…

AN: Almost finished, I hope you are enjoying it, perhaps not more than two more chapters to finish it, arent you curious at the thought of how it will end? Please leave a review and tell me what you think, you can also leave ideas.


	8. A Shooting Star

"I…" started Jake, totally speechless and not knowing how to explain it to his daughter, yet willing to make Chiyo know he was indeed the father that lacked her young life.

"Jake is a very busy man and has to go to work, right Jake?" Kari explained tenderly, yet casting a menacing glance at the young programer.

"er…yeah, right, well, good bye little Chiyo" Jake stated in a doubtful voice, not knowing exactly what to do in his actual situation, yet simpatheic and eager eyes stared at the little girl, his daughter, "good bye Kari!" Jake finished in a harsh voice full of contained anger and tension.

As soon as Jake closed the door, which had been done in a violent way, making the fine wood crack at the unaccustomed pressure, Kari smiled indulgently, not because she was glad, but because she didn't want to cry in front of her young daughter. Chiyo was very young, yet very intelligent and sensitive, she could feel the pain stabbing her mother's heart and tearing her soul, and she had seen her eyes in the stranger's eyes, since her eyes were not ordinary ones. Chiyo knew yet she refused to let her mother know that she had never believe that her father was in a mission in space, and that she knew her real father was Jake Anderson, former boyfriend of her mother. The young child was not willing to send more pain across her mother's frozen shield, because the only person her mother was warm and kind with was herself, and she knew she could easily acess to her heart without any effort.

Dear Hikari

With motive of the Christmas Eves Celebration we have decided to prepare a party in the honour of this festivity. It will be a dinner and then a small feast with the closest members of our community. We deeply desire you will assist at the feast. Yours Sincerely:

Inoue and Izumi Koushiro

Kari was not willing to arrive at a feast where many familiar faces from her darkenned past were about to inquire at her sudden disappereance and appereance. However it was in her heart to assist to her best friend's party, even although her knowledge had adviced her of the unfortunate encounter that was Izz's best friend, or project mate. In other words, Kari was doubtlessly having an unwanted meeting with Jake Anderson. 

Kari placed the warm, cotton quilt over her beautiful daughter's body, covering her with the warmth of natural furs, and her own lofe flowing around the bed like a protective dragon, gliding with gryffin wings. Kari placed a kiss on Chiyo's rosy cheeks and a tender smile curved her lips in a calm way.

"sleep tight my angel!" whispered the mother with care irradiating like the enormous aura of a pale moon in a penetrating, black sky.

"mommy don't go!" whispered Chiyo in a sleepy voice, her occident eyes nearly closed as a drowsee feeling engulfed her little body,altogether with the care and the warmth.

"I have to go Chiyo, but remember that as long as stars shine in the sky and the moon awakes once a month, I will be here, protecting you!" explained Kari in her calm, tender voice, leaving an essence of magick floating on the light and cozy athmosphere upon her words had been pronounced.

"Blessed Be!" whispered Chiyo in such a weak, tired voice it was nothing but an unaudible murmurr.

"Blessed Be!" whispered Kari silently, mostly to herself, never wanting to distract the baby from her trip torwards the land of all possible and wildest desires, the Astral Body crossing the boundaries between the world of living, yet never reaching the world of dead, staying in a small frame in the middle, the area of dreams.

Kari apprached the Nanni she had always called when she had needed someone to take care of Chiyo, a tired look crossing the fine features, yet the beautiful however light makeup covering all negative emotions from the woman's face.

"she's asleep, I'll be here soon so you don't have to worry about anything, take some sleep as well!" explained Kari smiling kindly at the woman.

"no, please, I'll stay awake until you arrive miss, I don't want to fall asleep while I'm supposed to take care of the baby" said the woman submissively, her face contorting into a mask of horror and disbelief.

Kari shrugged and walked off after saying a quiet yet kind good bye, leaving calmly knowing her child was in good hands, yet never eagerly to show up at a feast where eyes would follow her steps and words would whisper behind herself, speculating at her misterious departure. 

The feast was very animated yet Kari was not enjoyiing much, she did however participate within the conversations, while a shadow of silverish glitter floated lazily in the air, secretly programmed by the young computer programmer, Izumi Koushiro. Kari force a smile that quickly became a pained frown as it seemed like the only attempt of creating a grateful effect upon her features was terribly harmful to her muscles.

"and then I stepped on his between leg, that jerk trying to force me to bed, but I tell you he wont try again, no he wont!" Sora explained taking one delicate sip from her cup, the one filled with a pale yellowish liquid, tiny, lazy bubbles sparkling brightly upon it's surface, and diving calmly into it's champagne depths.

"he deserved it!" snapped Mimi raising a clenched fist, and then taking a quick sip from her cigar, a cloud of smoke floated lazily in a thin, pale colum torwards the ceiling, where the sky clouded with a wall of pale smoke, like threatening white clouds, menacing snow.

"oh, did I tell you about that boy? Yeah the one who danced with me at that famous disco? Damn him, you should have seen my face when he stopped dancing with me, approached a very handsome man and started making out with him!" commented Sayuri, one of Yoley's cousins, a very atractive girl with a slim body.

"like I tell you, all cute guys are either taken or gay!" commented Yoley calmly, a gentle sip of a creamy substance dancing around her lips in a very sensual way of such an increated excitement Izzy couldn't help but stop his conversation with Jake, Matthew and Cody simply to stare at his beautiful wife. 

"well, not all!" commented Sora winking an eye at the younger woman, and signaling with a very seductive way at her husban, action which caused a gentle blush to glimmer faintly overpowering the creamy makeup that covered the pure skin. 

"well, what about that project? What was it called? Proyect Matrix?" inquired Cody in a very interested way, never taking his eyes off the older programer and insisting in absorving as much information about the event as possible, therefore to conclude something which could serve him well upon a decition.

"er…oh, right! Proyect Matrix, it consist in a study about the reality, but you have to be very sure about what you are going to do, what you may see might be as shocking as to leave sequels for the rest of your life, understood?" explained Izzy, never stopping a vast gesticulation and a piercing, domint gaze upon the cowering, unsure men. Their eyes stared at Jake in search of an explanation to consider the completely sctrange and unccomon explanation.

"well" started Jake shrugging, an indulgent, innocent smile covering his lips for a brief second, "it is true that what he has to tell you, I case you both decided to join the proyect, might be very shocking indeed" commented Jake calmly.

Inmediatly his eyes danced away from the two men, and his mind wandered with the wings of a hawk away from the conversation. He couldn't hold it yet it was natural, all curious minds and watching eyes get attracted by the flashing beauty and delicacy of an intense, sparkling star or the gentle butterfly. However attempt to combine the star and the butterfly and the irradiation of magnificency is so great no natural heart could resist to desire owning such wonder. Jake examined the fine and delicate features, a hint of sadness irradiated from it's snow paleness and purity, a tint of fresh, rosy pink colouring her cheeks with the clarity of a newbornt, spring rose. Jake examined her long, silky mane of creamy colour, held up in a bun, a cmplicated style which consisted on creating curls which would be then tied and forming the curved legs of a spider, locks of her silky hair floating tenderly in a caressing touch over her eyes and cheeks, like a cascade of copperish gold, or pale bronze.

A shooting star is my love

Silvery blaze which light's the sky

A shooting star is my love

A divine glitter that speedy flies

Jake, entrance not by the melodious music, but by the resemblance of the lyrics with his situation, with the angelic woman, began pacing in calm steps torwards her. He didn't notice the confused gazes of the three men, nor the knowing glances casted at him and Kari by the mischievous women, he only noticed one thing, he could only see his light. He extended a hand, trying to reach the star, knowing well how difficult it was, but also concious that, in dreams, all was possible.

"care to dance?" inquired the man in a calm, even absent voice.

Kari looked up at the man with curious eyes, she was shocked at the sudden question yet never willing to give up to the tender kindness and pleading tone that flickered lightly in his voice, that rippled gently in his eyes. 

"please" whispered Jake, starting to land, falling hard like plumber, begging to be grabbed from the certain and painful crash, not wanting to wake up from his dream.

Kari, entranced as well by the melodious games of achords, of gentle voices and delicated instruments and flutes, placed a delicate, long hand resting upon Jake's larger, manly one. He helped her raise from her sedent position my engulfing her delicate hand in his large, thicker fingers, yet with such gentleness it seemed as thogh he was grabing a piece of milimetrical thin glass, a threat of crystal that could break with breathing. Kari and Jake walked with ligh paces torwards the center of the living room, where nothing was placed against their freedom of motion. There they locked their eyes, Kari's left hand was placed in a gentle slumber onto Jake's chest, and the other one engulfed, like a wave with it's spiritual foam, the manly fingers of her dance companion's. Jake's hand was placed with a trembling unsteadiness, yet faint and careful touch on her slim waist. Both started to sway in complete and total compenetration at the melody of the music, the pure, white feather hovering calmly, riding on the breeze's gentle crest, the hawk covering the skies with speed, the wind riding with it.

Jake and Kari, the adult versions vanished inmediatly, melted into a more scrawny figure of flattened chest and slim curves, or the tall yet disarranged with wild, untamed mat of black hair. Both returned to their visions of their teenage years, the happiest seconds of their lives, when they shared their love, when they fused into one flame, one heart and one soul. And so the ignition began again, the ice melted into a torrent of feeling that flooded across their veins and bodies, and the candle lit into a wild ball of draconish fire, an astro with increasing warmth, a calid sensation that engulfed the two minuscule and insignificant bodies. And Kari realized it.

The young woman's eyes oppened wide at the realization of the ocurring event, her muscles tensed, her heard gave in to the increasing sensation, her shield of ice, unable to fight for longer such pressure, shattered into glass, the veil of hardness breaking into the vision of reality. Kari felt a slight pressure in her stomach, something that focused her fear in a phisical way, something subreal yet very strong, and all coherency of her acts was blocked by the sensation of being enclosed in a cage, of being trapped in a tangled net of contradictory thoughts and memories. Kari turned around breaking free of her grip against the man, and rushed outside into the cold night, into the unbearable rush of frozen wind. And Jake crashed, hard, and his dream, the one he fought to maintain vivid, faded into the darkness of a reality he fought hard to evade.

Kari sat there, in a small stone bench covered entirely by the gentleness of pure snow, it's softness yet it's piercing cold tore her flesh with wild fangs, but the woman simply ignored the threatening growls of the white wolves. She felt silent tears drowning her cheeks with it's salty and calid feeling, tears of confusion and realization, tears of sorrow and euphory, tears that represented the contradiction of her complicated and intense thinking. She loved him, she still did but the pain he caused five years ago had been so intense she could not forget it, nor forgive him. He had treated her like something that stood in the middle of his goal, an obstacle, some spark of dirt on his glasses that didn't allow him to view the end of the line. Kari always thought she was the stick that helped the peregrine across the path, not the stone or the river that forced the seeking of another way around. However now, after many years of training, of focusing into how right her decition was and how much of a fool had Jake been, she reencounters with him and discovers that the latent flame was simply asleep, and now sparkled vivid and warm like it had been in times of the first relation.

Her eyes looked up, snow, gentle flakes of frozen snow floated into a delicate hover, only to land and fade into the already vast extentions of white that covered the area of the woodlands surounding, and even the entire city lower down. Flakes that sent so much joy, particles of frozen water forming the most unimaginable figures and the stranges and most delicate structures which altered her vision in such a great range. She loved observing the snow, yet the night of her departure, the night of the greatest decition in her life, it had been snowing, the spirits had danced around her in a swirly motion of spirals and wild movements. And now the spirits were dancing again, wether this meant she was about to make a big decition, she ignored the reality of their reptilian hisses and their antinatural cries and whistles.

"your passion for snow, it is very pretty, pale particles falling from heaven, light like feathers!" a voice, a too familiar voice said behind her, yet the fresh memory of a recently broken voice from a youth, a puberty accesed short ago, this deep tone sounded so rare and strange.

"the cold air clears my mind, I needed to think, but this brings so much memories, good and bad ones!" Kari said in an emotionless voice, absent as if she was not there in spirit, as if her words had been directed to nobody but herself.

"so it's true, the flame in your eyes, it flickers again!" Jake commented trying to focus on a straight point, attempting to make her admit what he had seen reflected in the depths of her eyes.

"I love the snow, watching it fall, walking across it's cottony softness…it's very nice!" she commented, still absently staring at the infinity, as if her mind wandered away from her body and danced with the snow, with each flake in a calm yet unstable dance.

"Kari, damn it, look at me! You cant hide away from me always, what I did was wrong ok? And I admit it, but I told you, I searched for you, I still love you, we can try again!" snapped Jake unable to contain the frustration his body acumulated for a longer period of time.

Kari looked at him, calmly, without hurry, her eyes examined the man's body as if trying to remember where he had seen such pictoresque character before, "you are nuts, how can you love me when you chose material over spiritual and moral aid?" she inquired trying to analize this fact herself, her eyes tearing like basilisks at the man's spirit.

"Kari, how many times will I have to beg forgiveness? What will I have to do? If I could go to the past and change it I swear I would, but I cant!" gasped Jake raising his eyes to the sky, tears itching at the corner of the fantastic orbs, threatening to fall in pure desperation and sadness.

"it's a lesson in life, it'll teach you to choose material over spiritual next time!" Kari growled like a dog warning on it's position in an urban pack or over a certain item of delicious properties.

Jake stared at her and quickly placed both hands grabbing her shoulders, then with gentle yet vigorous shakes he attempted to make her snap awake from the trance of hostility and ice coldness she was penetrating, "damn it Kari, it's going to consume you! Let it free Kari, admit it! Or it'll destroy you!" he snapped, his voice rising to a yell, trying to make himself heard.

Kari, realizing the truth in his words, shook her head with frantic frustration, her eyes shutting tightly and tears flowing in calm but cold trails that froze at the pressence of a wintery breeze.

"no!" she sobbed, her body convulsing, trying with hopeless effort to keep her feelings locked into it's box of ice, where they had been safe never affecting her nor the world around, only one person owning the key.

Chiyo looked at the sky, her young eyes had been focusing on the beauty of the feathery flowing of the calm snow, the passive movements that seemed to draw faces, smiling faces, or galloping unicorns, even white dragons flying with their large, leathery wings. Her eyes sparkled with brightness upon seeing the flash of a shooting star illuminating the sky, creating a blueish white light irradiating from the hot piece of speeding stone, yet shining with magic on the depths of a clouded sky, trespassing this cumulos of evaporated water, now frozen ice.

"oh!" Chiyo beamed with wonder at the first shooting star her eyes had ever seen, "I want daddy to come back!" Chiyo wished, closing her eyes tightly as the astro faded into nothingness, vanished as it consumed into the devouring hunger of the flames.

"say it!" Jake said softly, this time his features became calm, not passive but patient and tranquil, knowing she was sucumbing to her feelings, knowing her heart gave in to the flame.

"I love you!" Kari attempted to say, yet her voce, strangled with a sob, was nothing but a faint whinne. However something magical occurred, some say it was coincidece while others admit it was magick, but the truth was that while Kari said her correspondent conffesion and Jake thought his conffesion, and Chiyo desired the return on her father, a shooting star illuminated the sky with it's enormous and fabulous brightness.

Jake smiled and soon their bodies closed their gap and a tight embrace sealed, stronger than any of the kissed their lips had gven and received, or any other form of romantic appreciation, the powerful love that had bloomed and was to grow, strong and powerful like a tree. And there they stay, sobbing gently, tears flowing like liquid diamonds, but this time, they were tears of joy, no more tears of sorrow were to break their cheeks and eyes with deep, bleeding gashes.

Chiyo rushed torwards her mother's bed and grinned at the male figure that lay asleep next to her mother, both creatures embraced in a tight hug, fearing all had been a dream and would vanish upon waking up. Chiyo simply smiled at them and, with the joy belonging to her nature, leapt on the bed, startling both adults from their deep, tired sleep.

"I knew you'd return!" Chiyo exclaimed smiling at Jake like she had never seen something more fabulous and wonderful in her life.

The End

AN: so there it is, how was it? Nice? I hope so, please review.


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